Omaha daily bee., 1887-08-22
LANCTRY AT LONG BRANCH.
How The Famous Actress Spends Her Time
At That Resort.
sAREFoorED seAuTiesAT BATH.
The Jersey Lily and George w. Chiids
His Platonic Regard for Her
Other Seaside Spice From
Clara Belle.

summ% %orth trip to that
riding in Ocean avenue past the lli,o. '" 90 ..
villas, which increase in number and
beauty as the years 90 by. 1t was mid
day, and l saw two ladies waltzing in
the parlor Of General Thomas l. Eckert,
general manager Of the Western Union.
i fancied that they were casually prac.
tising some Of the frequent new styles in
round dancing. But the rythmic grace
OF their movements was not compatible
with the seeming lack OF music. looked
again and saw that one was holding the
receiver of a telephone close to her own
and partners ear, and that they reversed
often enough to avoid winding them.
selves up in the connecting wire. Later
was shown the other end of their ar.
rangement in q telephone directly over
the orchestra in the West End Hotel par.
lor, where daily concert is given at
noon, and dance music is altogether
played from eight to eleven every even.
ing.
The most distinguished belle at the
Branch this week-with one tremendous
exception-Is Ida Barrows, who came
from Hartford, and belongs to the Cole.
man family of that seouestered town.
She is pretty, but not wonderfully SO; she
has cunning little ways, but so have the
majority of the ,aaidens seen at the sea-
shore, and she is IN no way far above the
high American average Of feminine at
tractiveness-save in her feet. Those
members are not smaller than number
four. should say, but they are SO
shapely in uninpaired outlines, so fine in
complexion, so utterly free from deform.
ity or blemlsh that, although people may
not 60 miles to see them--as they did the
""Mikad0" old maids elpow-many do
60 down to the shore at bathing time to
Admire them. They are famous. Ida
is the only girl at her hotel who goes into
the surf without slippers and stockings.
Her modest suit covers her ankles, but her
handsome feet are uncovered and bare.
Nearly every year there comes an actress
to Long Branch who distances all unpro.
fessional competition at the beach. but this
time the little barefoot from Hartford Is
without rivalry, and that, too, without
any sacrifice of the proprieties.
Mrs. Langtry is the exception which
mentioned in the other paragraph.
There Is no use trying to ignore her. She
undoubtedly went to Long Branch for
advertising as we'll as recreation pur.
poses, and she is so interesting that she
commands the former while enjoying the
latter. She began week ago by hiring
one OF the two gorgeous villas owned by
Phillip Daily, the ambler who runs the
Pennsylvania club. Phillip built those
houses several years ago for residences for
his own and his brothers families. Into
hn mt q to
miniature church. with an altar where
his wife, pious Roman Catholic, might
say her prayers. The decorations as well
as the architecture were UNIQUE, il not
gaudy. Phillip lives there this season on
the immense profits of his gambling
establishment, but his brother has not
occupied the other house, and Mrs.
Langtry rented it. The price which she
is said to have paid was 81 900 for August
able. considering that the premises are
luxuriously furnished. Mrs. Langtry
arrived like . circus. Her wardrobe
and other belongings filled twenty
four trunks. and along. with
them were nine boldly labelled
"F. Gebhard, New York" Does he
accompany her? Rather, he is not only
domiciled with her at the DAILY Villa, but
the public rarely sees her without him.
The mutual admiration and devotion of
the pair is conspicuous. They 60 to Man
mouth park on three afternoons week
to see Freddy's horses beaten; they 90 to
the noon concerts at the West End, and
also they occasionally drink with Jerry
Jerome and other fellows; and frequently
they waltz in the hotel parlor, observed
by eager thrOngs of men, women and
children. The manner is which the peo.
pie jostle and crowd to get y sight of the
Lily doesn't look polite; and yet as she is
there for exhibition, why should they deny
themselves and her the pleasure OF star
tngf Her acting on these occasions 10 as
GOOD an anything she does on the stage.
BY no gesture or vince does she betray
her knowledge that she and Freddy
are not off somewhere in tho will
derness, with no human eye on
them. She is self.possessed. calm and
intensely lady like Ill department. Does
the gaze OF the multitude really annoy
hers guess not; else why does she sub.
init herself to it, She goes to battle
whore there is the biggest crowd, which
speeds that she is there. In the surf she
wears conventional suit of blue flannel,
the blouse coming to her knees. and the
trousers puekering at her ankles. On
these occasions she shows to good advan-
tage, because her figure is first rate, OK.
Cept fr large hands and feet, and her
complexion stands daylight and the
oceans glare admirably. Discussion Ot
the question whether she is superlatively
beautiful wakes warm. My own opinion
is that, while her features are not fine,
she is so clean, healthy and fair that she
may Justly be called very pretty.
Now for startler? Whom do you sup
pose, Of all the celebrated men at Long
Branch, Mrs. Langtry has newly cap
turedY George w. Chilis, of the Phila
delphia Ledger. Stay your scandaloul
tongue. MIR. Childs is no sentimental
rival Of Gebhard. His attentions to tn,
beauty are wholly plstonic. She wa!
taken up and doomed by the prince o
Wales set IN London. Why shouldn'
Uncle Childs follow suits The prelimi
nary approaches are understood to hav,
been mado by Childs to the actress. Sh,
intimated to him, through an obligins
third person, that she wished to attenl
divine services last Sunday il
the Elberon church-the one il
which he has lately placed
Grant memorial window. He affabl,
placed a pew AT her disposal. Next, sh
met him in hotel parlor, where he wa
presented to her. At the close of this in
terview she invited HIM to call on her
He dad so on the ensuing day, greatly +
the shock and surprise OF neighbors VIII
had put her under social aboo. Abou
the time am writing this il the enpape